This slide show was presented at the New York Coalition for Adult Literacy (NYCAL) meeting on February 4th, 2010, by Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield and Neil Ridley, senior policy analysts from CLASP. It reviews how WIA Title I and Title II could work together ti improve service to adults.

1. Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield
Senior Policy Analyst
Neil Ridley
Senior Policy Analyst
Better Together: Title I & II Serving Low-Skilled
Adults
New York Coalition for Adult Literacy
February 4, 2010
www.clasp.org

2. • Authorized in 1998
• Reformed federal employment, adult education, and
vocational rehabilitation programs to create an
integrated “one-stop” system of workforce investment
and education activities for adults and youth
• Five titles
Title I: Adult, Dislocated Workers, Youth
Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act
Title III: Workforce Investment-related activities
Title IV: Vocational Rehabilitation
Title V: incentive grants, unified plans, etc.
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3. • Grants to states and local areas for employment
and training services
• State and local workforce investment boards—
responsible for planning, partnerships and
oversight
• One-stop career centers—provide access to
services provided by WIA and partner programs
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4. Funding Stream PY 2009 Allocation to New York
City
Adults (age 18 and over) $26.5 million administered by SBS
Dislocated Workers (laid off workers, $15.8 million administered by SBS
UI claimants, displaced homemakers)
Youth (low-income youth, out-of- $25 million administered by DYCD
school youth)
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5. • Adults and Dislocated Workers follow a
sequence of services (core, intensive and
training).
• Training services include a range of options,
including adult education and literacy in
combination with skills training.
• Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) are the main
vehicle for training.
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6. • Strongly encourages career pathways for adults
and youth and alignment of adult education,
training and postsecondary education with jobs
and industries
• Allows for training contracts with colleges and
training providers, provided that customer choice
is not limited
• Gives priority to low-income individuals
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7. • Grants provided to states to fund local programs
providing adult education and literacy services,
including workplace literacy services, family literacy
services, English literacy, and GED prep.
• For adults and out-of-school youth age 16 and
older
• Multiple goals for the program including gaining
knowledge and skills necessary for self-sufficiency
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8. • WA state survey—86% of adult ed students have employment
goals.
• For low skilled adults, the largest economic payoffs are in
postsecondary. 1 year of college = 10% increase in earnings
(as true for GED grads as for h.s. grads)
Getting a GED alone does increase earnings but by less than a
high school diploma. (Only pays off significantly for dropouts
with lowest skills and for immigrants.)
Vocational certificates and degrees pay off more than academic
ones at the Associate level and below
• Up until now, assumption by programs and by adult ed.
students has been that GED is the best route to good jobs
and to postsecondary education
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11. • Adult ed. focused on GED but majority do not earn one,
and few GED grads. ever complete postsecondary
credentials.
Most adult ed. students stay for 30 to 80 hours of
instruction. (100-150=1 grade level)
Only 12% complete > 1 year of college in first decade
after earning GED, 3% earn at least AA degree.
Bottom line: Over several decades, of 100 adult ed.
students, about 8 go on to postsecondary and 2 get a
BA. Very few English Language Learners transition.
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12. • Access to occupational and job training
Also covers costs related to training
• Career counseling, job search assistance, case
management
• Support services
Child care, transportation
Needs-related payments
• Connections to employers, in some cases
organized by sectors
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13. • Partnering with One-Stop Center to provide labor
market information and career information to adult
education providers
• Partner with One-Stop to provide adult education
services at One-Stop
• Referral arrangement to One-Stop and from One-Stop
to adult ed providers
• Contextualizing basic skills/literacy content to
occupations/sectors
• Co-enrolling individuals in Title I and II
• Integrated basic skills/literacy and training
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14. • Linked education and training services that –
“enable students, often while they are working, to
advance over time to successively higher levels of
education and employment in a given industry or
occupational sector. Each step on a career pathway is
designed explicitly to prepare students to progress to the
next level of employment and education.” (Oregon
Career Pathways initiative)
• Greater alignment: Ideally career pathways are not a
separate program but a framework for weaving together
adult education, training, and college programs that are
currently siloed and connecting those services to
employers’ workforce needs.
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15. • Career pathway bridge programs typically cover “soft
skills,” pre-college academic skills, and specific job skills,
ideally one that is part of a career pathway.
• Career pathway bridges tailor and contextualize the adult
ed/ELL content to general workplace needs and to the
knowledge and skills needed in a specific occupation.
E.g. bridge programs in manufacturing cover blueprint
reading, statistical process control. Those in health care
cover intro. to human biology, vocab. and math for health
careers.
• Partners in bridge programs can be employers, unions,
community-based organizations, community colleges,
and others.
www.clasp.org

16. • ESL in Health Careers Context
16-week ESL course contextualized to health careers
Entry quals: Grade level equiv of 6.0 or higher TABE
Completers can go on to next rung of career ladder (VESL)
Funding sources: Adult ed ESL, WIA Title I
• Vocational ESL in a Certified Nursing Assistant Context
16-week VESL course contextualized to CNA
Entry quals: Grade level equiv of 7.0 or higher on TABE
Completers can go on to the CNA component or pre-LPN
module
Funding sources: Adult ed ESL, WIA Title I
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17. • WA state goal: Increase number of adult ed/ELL students
who reach “tipping point” of one-year postsecondary &
credentials
• 135 programs in the 34 community and technical colleges
• I-BEST pairs ABE/ELL instructors with prof./tech instructors in the
classroom to provide integrated basic skills and job training.
• Goal is to earn a for-credit occupational certificate AND raise
basic skills/English to level needed to take next career and
educational step. Both high and lower skill level options.
• Instructors co-teach 50% of the time, other half of the time teach
the same students contextualized basic skills and occupational
skills separately. Programs typically range from 1-3 quarters.
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18. • Administration’s Workforce Investment Act
reauthorization recommendations emphasize
closer alignment
Maintain focus on educational goals in adult ed, yet
greater focus on moving all students along a trajectory
ending with postsecondary and career success
Establish consistent performance measures and
definitions
• Career pathways movement
• American Graduation Initiative
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19. • Introduced by President Obama at Macomb
Community College (Detroit), July 14
• Goal: An additional 5 million community college
graduates by 2020 (degrees and certificates)
• Reflects emerging themes of Administration and
Congress:
Focus on community colleges
Emphasis on persistence and completion
Integration of education and workforce needs through
career pathways including adult education
Evidence-based innovation
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20. • For more information about WIA reauthorization
proposals visit: www.clasp.org
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